Chiefs softball drops game to Wildcats
MOSES LAKE - It was a classic battle between the two top softball teams in the Columbia Basin Big 9 Conference Tuesday evening at Larson Field.
Eastmont and Moses Lake came into the contest undefeated in league play, but after the final out was recorded, the Wildcats were the only ones without a blemish as they turned back the Chiefs in front of their home crowd, 6-4.
"It was a good ball game," coach Dave Gregory said. "I felt comfortable down only one run going into the bottom of the sixth with the meat of our order coming to bat, but they shut us down 1,2,3. It's been a long dry spell since we've seen good pitching like we did today."
Neither team scored in the first inning as both went down in order. Eastmont scored twice in the top of the second to go up 2-0.
The Wildcats lead held up until Hailie Bishop doubled down the right field line to push the first Moses Lake run across the plate in the bottom of the third inning to close the gap to 2-1.
Eastmont threatened to blow the game wide open in the top of the fourth as they loaded the bases twice. But the Chiefs got out of the jamb surrendering just one run, and trailed 3-1 as they came to bat in the bottom of the frame.
Back-to-back singles by Jazmyn Jesse and Vanessa Weaver put runners on first and second with one out. Another single by Sadee Smigaj scored the courtesy runner who came in for Jesse to get Moses Lake with one, 3-2. Haylie VanLaethem's sacrifice fly to right scored Weaver to tie the game 3-3.
VanLaethem held Eastmont in check in the top of the fifth as she retired the Wildcats in order from the circle.
A two-out single by Brianna Valdez, and a triple by catcher Tressa Radach gave the Chiefs their first lead, 4-3.
Jesse drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Moses Lake. But Weaver stuck out to end the inning and the rally.
Eastmont put two on base to start the top of the sixth. A sinking third strike on the next Wildcat batter got away from Radach and the runners advanced to second and third. The two scored on a single up the middle on Easmont's next at bat to put the visitors back up to, 5-4.
The bottom of the inning saw the Chiefs go down in order, still trailing by a run.
The Wildcats got an insurance run in the top of the seventh, then held Moses Lake off the board in the Chiefs last at bat to come away with the win, 6-4.
VanLaethem was tagged with the loss for Moses Lake, but turned in a solid performance in the circle as she fanned nine Wildcats. Five errors that produced two unearned runs was the undoing for the Chiefs.
The loss to Eastmont drops Moses Lake to 6-1 in league play and 8-4 overall.
The Chiefs get an opportunity to redeem themselves three days from now when the team hits the road to East Wenatchee for doubleheader action with the Wildcats.
"This was kind of a disappointing loss because we wanted to make a statement in this game," Gregory said. "But we get a chance to get back at them Friday. Hopefully it will be a different outcome."